Apparatus for manufacturing tubes and the like from flat metal strips or bands



May 22, 1951 I DESHLLY fiv flil APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUBES ANDTHE LIKE FROM FLAT METAL STRIPS OR BANDS Filed July 25, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet 1 V j U 5 10 W INVENTOR;

LUGIEN DE$HJAY S D N A B R O s P I R m s L A u m W 9 3953 L. DESILLYAPPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUBES AND THE LIKE FROM FLAT Filed July 2a,1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W J a 14 1a ff u fy INVENTOR:

LUCIEH DESILLY Attormaig.

i atented May 22,

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUBES AND THE LIKE FROM FLAT METAL STRIPS ORBANDS Lucien Desilly, La Louviere, Belgium Application July'23, 1948,Serial No. 40,273 In Belgium August 6, 1947 The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for manufacturing tubes and the like by bringingtogether the edges of fiat metal strips or bands.

In accordance with my invention, the strip or band is subjected to agradual and continuous deformation under such conditions that thefinished articles have exactly the desired cross-section and size andpermanently keep their shape. The flat strips or bands areengagedbetween two grooved surfaces moving in unison, said surfacesbeing separated by a wedge-shaped space of curved outline, so that thestrip or band engaged therebetween is progressively and continuouslybent until its two edges are brought together and the desired shape isobtained.

It is the object of this invention to provide a simple and efiicientapparatus for manufacturing tubes as aforesaid. Such apparatus comprisestwo circular rotatable members, one being an internally grooved ring andthe other an externally grooved disc mounted eccentrically within saidring, with its outer edge adjacent the inner edge of the ring. The twomembers are rotated in the same direction and their grooves co-operateto bend the strip longitudinally and to gradually shape it to tubularform. The disc may be adjusted in position to meet requirements.Suitablemeans are provided for guiding the strip into the spacecomprised between the two grooves and for directing the tube out of theapparatus.

In order that the invention shall be more readily understood referencewill be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way ofexample two constructional forms of my improved apparatus.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically, in crosssection on line II of Fig.2, the essential parts of a horizontal apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views, similar to Fig. 1,illustrating modified arrangements of the parts.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively show successive phases in themanufacture of a tube in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 10 is a view in elevation illustrating a vertically arrangedapparatus.

Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views on line XIXI and XII-XIIrespectively of Fig. 10.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the disc [0 and ring II which are the mainessential parts of the apparatus. The disc I0 is substantially smallerthan and is arranged eccentrically within the ring ll.

Both disc and ring are rotated in the same direction, their respectivecenters being shown at I2 v 6 Claims. (Cl. 153-54) 2 and I3 in Fig. 2.It will be understood that by varying the distance between said centersthe shape of the cross-section of the finished article can be varied.

In the outer periphery of the disc 10 and the inner periphery of thering I I are provided semicircular grooves which define together a spaceI l between the two rotating members, which space is of circularcross-section where the said members are adjacent, as shown on the righthand side of Fig. 1. Where the disc and ring are spaced apart, I mayprovide leading in rolls I5, l5a (Fig. 1) or a fixed guide I6 (Fig. 3)or a rotary guide piece which may be a side flange Illa on disc I!)(Fig. 4) or a side flange Ha on ring ll (Fig.5).

In operation disc ill and ring H are rotated in the same direction, asshown for example in Fig. 2 by the arrow 9:. The flat strip I! to beshaped is introduced into the space it at y, where the open gap betweenthe parts I0 and II is wider than the width of the strip. It is caughtbetween the rolls 15, la whereby it is guided into the space 14 whichhas the general shape of a curved wedge tapering from y to a. While itnears the point of maximum construction .2, the strip 11 is graduallyshaped by the grooves defining the space M as illustrated in Figs. 6 to8. At 2 shaping is completed and the strip is bent edge to edge into atube lia (Fig. 9). Additional pairs of rolls such as i5, [5a may beprovided between 11 and z, or other guide pieces such as the plate It orthe flanges lilo. or Ila may be provided.

Beyond 2, the space between disc 10 and ring ll again increases incross-section, so that the finished tube can be diverted side wise andwith.- drawn from the apparatus.

In the form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12, the disc l0and-ring II are arranged vertically in eccentric relation to each otherand they are provided with toothed rings l8, [8 re-.- spectively, inmutual engagement, so that they are adapted to rotate in unison in thesame direction. The disc it is driven by its shaft I!) which isjournalled in bearings 26 and is rotated from a motor 2| throughreducing gears 22, 23, whereas the ring I i is freely supported onrollers 24 journalled in the casing 25 which is made of two parts toprovide easy access to the inside of the apparatus.

The strip or band to be shaped (not shown) is fed to the apparatus bymeans of guiding rolls 26, 21, 28.

The first pair of rolls 26 have peripheral grooves for engaging theedges of the strip which is fed in a vertical plane. The distancebetween the rolls 26 is regulable by means of a screw 36 which engagesthreaded holes in pins 3| carrying the rolls 26, said pins beingslidable towards and away from each other in a frame 29 secured to thecasing 25. The pins 31 are each made of two parts connected by avertical pivot 30 so that the angular position of the rolls 26 andconsequently of the strip can be varied as required.

Being guided by the rolls 126 the strip enters the as 25 throu h anopeniii W5 $1. caught by the second pair of rolls 21 which is almost inline with the shaping gap M. The rolls 2'! are preferably slightlycurved as shown in order to initiate the shaping operation.

Just before the point where the strip. is, caught between the disc [0and ring I I is a further guiding roll 28 which leads the slightlycurved strip into the gap 14 where the shaping operation is completed inthe manner shown in Figs. 6 to 9. A window 33 is provided in the wall ofthe casing 25 to permit of watching and if necessary correcting thepositioning of the strip in the shaping space [4.

The finished tube is led away through the side of the casing oppositethe inlet side, the outlet side of the casing being provided with afunnelshaped guide 34 merging into an outlet pipe 35 of sufiicientlength to cause the outgoing tube to straighten up.

It will be understood that the shape of and distance between the groovesin the disc and ring may be varied according to the shape of thearticles to be produced and that details of construction of theapparatus may be varied without departing from the invention as definedin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making substantially continuous tubes bylongitudinally bending a Hat metal strip, comprising a ring having ashaping surface on its inner periphery, a disc having a shaping surfaceon its outer periphery, said respective shaping surfaces beingcomplementarily concave with respect to one another, said disc beingmounted eccentrically within said ring and adjacent its inner periphery,means for rotating said disc and ring in unison in the same direction,means for guiding said strip into the space between said disc and saidring for progressive edge-on deformation thereby, and means for guidingthe substantially continuous, tubular shape'dstrip out of said space.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having means for closing at leastone side of the space formed between the shaping surface on said ringand the shaping surface on said disc.

3. An apparatusas'claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaping surfaces onsaid ring and said disc are. of semi-circular outline.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for guidingsaid strip into the space between said disc and said ring comprise apair of grooved rollers arranged at an angle outside said ring and atleast a pair of rollers arranged within said ring.

5. An'apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for guidingsaid strip into the space between said disc and said ring comprise apair of coacting rollers having curved peripheral surfaces for impartingan initial curvature to the strip to be shaped.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding theshaped strip out of the space between said disc and said ring comprise afunnel-shaped outlet followed by a straight outlet tube.

LUCIEN DESILLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 40 617,363 Skogse Jan. 19, 1899829,990 McKee Sept. 4, 1906 2,449,206 Dryer et a1. Sept. 14.1948

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 98,098 Germany July 13, 1898

